A DERELICT pub could make way for a development of nine houses, which one resident has dubbed a “mini-estate”.

People living near the former Spotted Dog pub, in Ivy Chimneys Road in Epping, have voiced their concerns about plans to knock down the building and replace it with a series of three-bedroom homes.

The plans will be considered by Epping Town Council, before the District Council makes a decision – although no date has yet been set for the meeting.

Anne Heneghan, 57, lives directly opposite the pub. She said: “I really hope they don't get permission for it.

“At the moment I have a lovely view from my house but this will completely block that out.

“I moved out of London to be in the countryside and now I feel like that's being taken away from me. I didn't move from Islington for this.

“It'll be like a mini-estate, and who wants that going up opposite their house?”

Christine Wotton, 63, who lives a few doors down from the pub, said: “I think it's going to be a pain in the rear.

“There's enough traffic coming down here as it is, we don't need any more.”

Amanda Herbert, 37, said: “It will change the character of the area. I'd much rather it was only three houses instead of nine.”

However, other residents said they felt that the development would be preferable to the current empty pub, which has been used for flytipping and the dumping of cars.

Sally Olack, 20, said: “We're all for it, anything's better than what's there now.

“The pub is closed now but when it was open you used to get drunk people walking up and down at night, and they used to have a band on that kept us up all night.”

Steve Forster, 54, said: “Perhaps this is the best thing for it, because it's a bit of an eyesore. Something's got to be done.”

Adam Dias, of the developer Mirad Properties, said: “It's quite a big site and you could probably fit 30 or 40 properties on there.

“Part of the land is green belt so we're only looking to build on the site of the pub and the car park.

“The plans we've submitted are just a starting point. We're trying to do what we can with the site. We're not looking to get up anyone's nose.”